#₍ ᵢ ₎ ―ㅤ * 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 ‚

[ravingard]

the weight of his blade is tested, shifted from one side to the other as the checks the balance. it does not matter, changes very little truly; he has used the same rapier for some time now and the feel of it in his hand is always the same, never changing, a constant in hero’s life.

“I am ready, whatever may come.” / hi hi, i adore your blog <3

often he will go about preparing for battle in a rather specific way, a routine, a ritual of sorts he has formed over the years. today is no different. even with the newfound weight of horns above his head, the way they through his balance. he has not mentioned it, would not dare to cause worry in companions when there is so much on their plate already.

gaze finds @sarastuss , concentration melts from his features. the crease between his brows relaxes and he smiles, a kind look, friendly. “ whatever may come. ” the blade mimics, and he means it, for loyalty is ingrained so deeply in his bones he cannot remember a time without it.

“ there is no question we can brace any storm, nerves of steel, we're prepared for it.” boundless optimism.

[cqrlisle]

a continuation .

“ sainthood requires a sort of devotion i lack, i'm afraid.” he can feel the corners of his mouth raise, forming the barest hint of a smile. eyes are kept firmly averted, stolen glances all that the doctor allows himself in far too familiar company. he distracts himself with anything within arms reach, well practiced motions, centuries of muscle memory it is engraved within his bones now. second nature.

love. carlisle thinks idly, that is what keeps him from straying from the path he's chosen. love for humanity. there is beauty in it, those fragile beings, there is so much potential in them, unlike the stagnation of their own kind.

( you are not unaware of the abnormality of your existence. it crosses your mind often, refusing one's nature is complex in the best of times, you have eternity to deal with such matters. )

carlisle does not shy away, does not flinch under touch. stark white to black, the contrast of them would be striking to outsiders, they fit together, the nature of magnetism. attraction linked in opposition. his scent will linger on you.

“ and here i thought you were uninterested in my practice.” an oddity, something to entertain certainly. finally, doctor turns his head, golden gaze is cast over @agedrot in such a close proximity. how dangerous.

“ when have you ever cared for the polite thing, cher ? ”

[ravingard]

“ they needed our help. the blade argues, not prone to outbursts until his values are encroached upon. the situation has ended in more than a bit of a mess, though it's nothing a few potions and some dinner won't help. nothing they can't afford, and @arachling does not have the same timer as the rest of them, surely they can spare a few hours.

“ you may be perfectly fine standing on the sidelines at the suffering of other's, but that isn't what i do.” which is to say, he is not capable of such acts. cruelty for the sake of self preservation . . . it is such a foreign concept he finds it unthinkable.

[ravingard]

there is much to be said about their group of adventurers. they are an… eccentric sort, a wide variety of backgrounds, of cultures. prior to @vlaakithswill wyll had not encountered githyanki, he had heard of them, but tales told by hunters found in taverns in the late evening were often the exaggerated sort. a majority of the time, anyway.

‘ don’t be kind to me. ‘

gaze falls on lae’zel, unsure. cultural differences have often been a cause for upset. kindness is weakness. it is a foreign concept to most but it comes as second nature, something ingrained into the duke’s son, same as his skill with the blade.

“ we could train instead, if my kindness bothers you. though i cannot promise not to throw out a complement of two at your footwork. ” the blade jests, though not unkindly.

[ravingard]

often, others assume it is easy to make the right choice, the noble choice. it is easy for others to look at him that way, easy when the people of the coast look to him as a hero, less so with friends, and now he feels he is questioning that judgement of himself.

he is no stranger to exhaustion, the ache in his bones, the burn of his muscles, it is as familiar as an old friend. but this level of emotion is new to him, this question of it any of this has been worth it. he had never felt the need to doubt himself, his pact with @wyrdbones .

“I hope this is important. For your sake.” from mizoraaa

“ how many others are there, were there ? how many things . . . people, have you sent me to hunt under the guise of monstrosities. ” that is to say : how many times have you lied.

[cqrlisle]

he had not tought to tell @agedrot of his mate, of his wife. of esme and her brightness, the way she smiles, of how she feels like spring. ( aro had made you feel that once, warm like the sun you have long since abandoned, sparks of warm fire under his fingers with every touch. ) he has had his own in caius, after all.

did you plan on ever telling me ? (icb he got married without telling aro……. toxic)

tongue teases the round of bottom lip, touches the points of his teeth as expression shifts, lips pressing together in a thin line before relaxing.

“ yes . . . eventually. ” the pad of his thumb touches golden ring, a beautiful engraving etched in metal, wrapped around his finger. he feels esme there, rotates it carefully, twists it gently, their connection.

“ what was there to say ? ” golden gaze finds lover, ex-lover ? , he shrugs almost nonchalantly, almost casually.

he had thought of aro at the wedding, but there was no expectation of objections, though he is sure his cher would find some way to claim the day for himself. ( aro is the dark clouds, esme is the gold that cuts through. two sides of the same coin. ) esme deserved better than that, aro siphoning attention.

“ i didn't think you'd enjoy it, attention on anyone else. ” my gaze on someone else.

[ravingard]

patron’s voice rings across his mind, the feeling of her claws across his face, the smell of brimstone and ash that fills his lungs, suffocates words before he can speak them. this is a part of his pact, the inability to put it to words, to explain. mizora had said this was due to her desire of privacy, it had been necessary, she could not have demons and devils discovering her work for the greater good, that she had given power to a hero.

or at least wyll had assumed as much. as of late, the blade has started to question the nature of their pact, his patron's true intentions were still a mystery to him.

you're not telling me the full story. you're leaving things out

wyll does not find himself defensive, he understands curiosity is a part of their nature, what has led them together, bonded their party of misfit adventurers. he knows that if the situation were reversed, if the shoe were on the other foot, he might feel that same spite, that same hesitance at lack of answers, at the spaces left for the imagination to fill.

“ i would tell you if it were important. ” the blade counters, avoidance is not malicious in nature, and he truly hopes @lolthswear knows as much. “ i hope i have done enough to ask you to trust me in these regards. ”

[ravingard]

midnight hangs heavy over the campsite, black as pitch in the absence of the moon. wyll still finds himself at awe of the difference in his sight, the greyscale shapes he can make out far more clearly now than he could before, so far from the fire's light it is . . . strange.

blade and armor put to rest in his tent ( the dagger tucked into his belt is a staple in the night, one can never be too careful, after all. and the blade of frontiers can hardly risk being caught unaware. ) wyll settles uninvited, careful to sit, putting @nerimoi on his bad side, it is better with some of their companions, so they know when his stare is purposeful.

“ is she kind to you ? ” in honesty, he need not ask, not when the answer is the same through every pantheon, every god. even the moonmaiden in all her goodness had turned her back on faerûn in their time of need, the lady of loss ? he supposes she must be different than the rest, if only because their pain may be prayer, worship at her altar. ( he can in some ways respect that, the honesty of her domain, though he knows little of the practice. but he may assume her followers know to expect their prayers to fall on deaf ears. )

“ or . . . i mean — ” hesitation is not the cause of questions restructure, wyll had meant what he asked, but knowing shadowheart - if one can ever truly know shadowheart - he may need to adjust for a more achievable answer.

“ — are you happy ? ”

[ravingard]

“ you’re a fine dancer. ” wyll laughs, the sound soft, joyous. the sort that may shake his shoulders a bit, a rumble in his chest. blade’s gaze finds @celestialheal , features soft. most would say kindness comes naturally to the youngest ravengard, and they would not be totally incorrect in that assumption. ( years of isolation cannot take father’s teachings from you, whether you like it or not. )

worn leather boots provide enough protection to keep the ache from his feet when a slight trip may have her’s land atop his. “ we’re not entertaining a ballroom, there is always room to learn. but you’re a quick study. i have no doubt you’ll give me a run for my money soon enough. ”

[ravingard]

discussions with fiendish patron are often interesting to say the least. wyll's time in her presence is more often than not on her terms, never his own. ( the sending stone embedded in his head is no different than the tadpole, even if it does not wriggle in his skull. )

‘ and it’s worth it, it’s divine. ‘ from mizora!

gaze finds @wyrdbones , coward hero's nature says that her statement should fall on deaf ears. fiends are not known for truth telling, lies slip from silver tongue, he knows her well enough. but then, there is always the hint of truth, the sweet promise of something better, something that could help him in his crusade, that is what their pact is based on, isn't it ? helping one another. foolish boy.

“ very little you say could be considered divine, mizora. least of all your self serving promises. ” he tries to deny interest, though it is likely he is just as self serving when it comes to their pact.

[ravingard]

tags.

₍ ᵢ ₎ ―ㅤ  *  𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳  ‚ ₍ ᵢᵢ ₎ ―ㅤ  *  𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦  ‚ ₍ ᵢᵢᵢ ₎ ―ㅤ  *  𝘢𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤  ‚ ₍ ᵢᵥ ₎ ―ㅤ  *  𝘱𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘦  ‚ ₍ ᵥ ₎ ―ㅤ  *  𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺  ‚ ₍ ᵥᵢ ₎ ―ㅤ  *  𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴  ‚